Ireland West tourism figures show that 1.2 million overseas tourists and 1.3 million domestic visitors came to the West last year, many of whom would have stopped off in the city during their stay.

A number of new hotels have opened in the suburbs and Salthill in recent years, bringing the number of registered hotels in the city to 32. There are a number of new developments in the pipeline, including a £30m 220-bedroom five star hotel which is currently being constructed at the Lough Atalia Road.

Radisson Hotels, part of the SAS airlines group, has been awarded the management contract for the hotel which, when it opens in March of next year, will be the second Radisson hotel in the country. (The first, St Helen's, is in Stillorgan, Co Dublin.)

Bernard McNamara's development company, Shorelark Limited, is retaining ownership of the fully air-conditioned hotel, which will include conference facilities for 700 people and meeting rooms which can cater for 300.

A spa and leisure centre will also be part of the scheme, and will include 20 treatment rooms.

The 300-space multi-storey car-park under the hotel has already been completed.

Shorelark is seeking planning permission for an 80,000 sq ft mixed commercial/residential development on a one acre site adjacent to the hotel at Lough Atalia.

Another new 50-bedroom hotel is due to open in mid-June on Forster Street, just off Eyre Square. The Forster Court Hotel is being developed by contractors Tom Considine and Adrian O'Connor for city businessman Ronan Lawless. The hotel will include a bar, restaurant and audio-visual conference facility.